MAY 12, 2025

What Exactly Qualifies as a ‘Complex UTI’?

By Myles Starr

Complex urinary tract infections (cUTIs) describe a heterogeneous group of infections ranging from any UTI in a male to catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) and acute pyelonephritis. 

However, data from a literature review indicate that assessing the real-world burden of cUTIs and their impact on patient outcomes is hindered by a lack of agreement on exactly what qualifies as a cUTI (Infect Dis Ther 2025 Apr 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40121-025-01149-8).